More detail on this person: It is with great sadness that I report on Friday, September 17, CW4
(R) Norman Cox passed away at his home in Clarksville, TN. This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site:
01/11/2025
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
I saw in the TAPS section of the Jan/Feb 2011 issue the notice of the death of CW4 (Ret) Norman Cox.
Norm and I served in the 57th TC Co (CH-21) in 1962-63 in Viet Nam. I was the maintenance officer.
We had been supplied with new self sealing fuel bladders. What we were not told was that the new
bladders held less fuel than the old bladders. We didn't trust the fuel guage systems in the CH-21
to start with so we carried a calibarted wooden dip stick in each aircraft to get a more accurate
reading. However, without the new information about the cells holding less fuel our dip sticks were
now not accurate either.
We had a ship go down in the plain of reeds due to engine failure. After spending 3 day in the muck
and mud we had a new engine installed. Then we had to fly out our Vietnamese soldiers who had
provided area security for the 3 days. Norm and I were hauling the last load of troops out in the
repaired helicopter. As policy, the pilot flew with his head out of the cockpit and the co-pilot
monitored all the instruments. I was in the pilots seat and we were at about 100 feet and 100 knots
when Norm said, "Captain, I been watching that fuel guage fluxuate and .....THERE IT GOES!" We ran
out of fuel. I went into autorotation and had to flare the ship rather steeply to stop short of a
tree line. In doing so, I hit the ground with the tail cone on the CH-21. This cone was fiber
glass just in case this happened so you didn't do any structural damage. However, it was a bugger
of a job to change the tail cone when you busted one because one mechanic had to get inside the rear
section to buck the rivets from the inside. That was a tight fit and a hot job any time. The
tradition in CH-21 companies was if you got "a piece of tail" you had to buy the crew chief a case
of beer. Likewise, if you ran out of gas (regardless of the reason) you bought a round of drinks in
the club. As the senior officer on the crew I had to shell out.
As an aside to the story, we had to make a radio call to have them fly us a 55 gallon drum of fuel
out to the site. The troops we were carrying formed a defensive position around our site just in
case some VC in the area decided to try and take us out. Norm, I and the two EM on the crew (crew
chief and door gunner) were standing around waiting for the fuel when shots were fired - some from
some distance from our site and some from our defending troops. We all hit the ground thinking we
were under attack. When the Viet Nam troops we were carrying saw our reaction they all started
laughing. The shots fired by both sides were merely recongition shots because the base camp had sent
out a column of troops to help us if needed. However, they failed to inform us this was going to
happen and we thought we were under attack.
The 57th Helicopter company (later 120th Aviation Company) have held several reunions at Ft.
Rucker/Ozark over the years since then. Norm and I always re-tell the story for those who had not
heard it and had a few laughs at ourselfs over the incident. I was deeply saddened to hear of
Norm's passing. As always, I miss an old comrade with whom I have had the honor of serving our
country. God bless Ameria.
From: Donald R. Jordan, LTC, USA-Retired, Master Army Aviator